Former Elgin woman charged with attempted murder, arson in Roselle
A former Elgin woman has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, home invasion and possession of a stolen vehicle after, prosecutors say, she stabbed and tried to suffocate another woman, then set her ex-boyfriend's Roselle townhouse on fire.
A DuPage County judge set bail at $2 million Thursday afternoon for Chevaz R. Odio, 28, whose last known address was on the 900 block of Carriage Way in Elgin but who most recently was living at her brother's home in Streamwood.
Assistant State's Attorney Jae Kwon said Odio went to her ex-boyfriend's home on the 600 block of Circle Drive and apparently began removing items from the townhouse about 2 a.m. Tuesday. The ex-boyfriend was not home at the time, but a woman who was visiting and sleeping on the couch saw Odio and tried to confront her.
Authorities say Odio stabbed the 20-year-old woman six or seven times with a sharp object and tried to suffocate her with a plastic bag. The woman managed to run away and lock herself in an upstairs bedroom, where she began to smell gasoline and smoke.
A man who was sleeping upstairs also smelled gas and smoke, and the two jumped out a second-floor window to escape. The woman dislocated her shoulder in the fall, while the man suffered minor injuries.
The woman was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village. Authorities say she is expected to survive.
Kwon said authorities believe Odio set fire to the townhouse and then fled by stealing a silver sedan that was parked outside, knocking over a motorcycle in the process.
Firefighters from several area departments battled the blaze, and a Hanover Park firefighter was injured at the scene. Kwon said the home was left uninhabitable.
"The damage to the building was substantial," said Kwon, who showed the judge a 30-second video from the scene of the fire.
Roselle police did not return phone calls and emails concerning the case Wednesday and Thursday. Fire department officials said after the bond court hearing Thursday that the fire was contained to the end unit in the townhouse complex.
Court records show Odio was charged with domestic battery against her ex-boyfriend April 7, when, authorities said, she forced her way into his townhouse and scratched his arm, causing a small abrasion.
A judge in that case set bail at $5,000. Odio posted the required 10 percent to be released, but the court ordered her at the time not to have any contact with the ex-boyfriend and not to enter his home until further notice, records show. She pleaded not guilty May 12.
That domestic battery case was supposed to go before a jury trial Wednesday.
Odio appeared in bond court on the new charges Thursday via a video screen. She was appointed a public defender and told the judge she would be not be able to post bond.
Odio is next due in court in the attempted murder and arson case Aug. 21.